Why i'm a "mean" official photographer.
If you're an exhibitor reading this post, hopefully this helps you see the mindset behind your official photographer's actions. If you're a photographer — new or veteran — I hope you can see the need for management's support at shows and the need for exclusivity.
If you're new here, hi! I'm Bre. I've been photographing shows since 2016. Everything from open shows, breed shows, western pleasure circuits, reining, ranch to barrel racing. When I first started out photographing shows, I was following my barn family around to the shows they were going to. Those shows did not have official photographers and I typically got roped into photographing a lot of exhibitors! From there, I started shooting shows officially as their official photographer (OP) with contracts with management.
When I first started as an OP, I didn't have a mentor to help me with the business side of things. I didn't know to have an exclusivity clause in my contracts at the time, nor did I know how to approach other photographers with cameras shooting every single exhibitor at the shows that I was contracted for. I was photographing on my free weekends and working during the week to help support my husband as he finished grad school. Those photographers would give away free photos at the shows and it HURT my business. Coming home from a show and ending up spending more money to be there in gas and time than I made from sales hurt me and my family.
The common response to hearing that someone is giving away free photos at a show is, "oh that's the free market," or, "maybe they have better photos than you." But in reality, while some people will support their photographers (LOVE YOU), most people prefer free photos no matter which looks better. I understand horse showing is expensive. However, after investing over $30K in camera gear, my job is also expensive.
If you think your photographer is in it for the money - you're right! But I want you to think about this. Are you willing to do your job for no pay? No. Of course not! You have bills to pay and food to buy. So why is my job any different from yours?
Once upon a time I used to directly talk to the other photographer that was poaching my shows. 9 out of 10 times I end up getting either cussed out or called names for politely explaining I have an exclusivity clause and that it’s there to protect my business. My favorite time was when a man told me I was "just a b**** of a woman" and he didn't need to listen to me. Unfortunately for me, that was at a show where management did not respect me either so I did not have any support from them.
That's why I'm now a "mean" official photographer and have management ask those photographers to put their cameras away. It is in my contract that management is responsible for handling this side of things and if they do not, I am no longer held to my end of the contract and have the right to leave mid-show. This may seem extreme, but it is to protect my livelihood as well as my exhibitors' safety. I use professional strobe lighting above my exhibitors’ eyesight; however, a newer photographer may use an on-camera flash that is directly eye level with the horse, causing it to spook. But guess who will be blamed for that? Me.
There are organizations that have told me that they won't uphold my contract and those are now groups that I will not work with. There are organizations that have my back 100 percent and those are the ones that I go above and beyond for and will work with time and time again.
Does that mean you should never photograph at shows without being the OP?
No! Find local shows that do not have a photographer and ask management if you can practice photographing at their event. If they’re okay with it, go ham! But if they DO have a photographer, please respect them and put your camera away or find a different show. There are enough shows out there for us all, you just need to find the right group to fit your needs!
What do you do if you want to photograph your friends at a show that has an OP?
Talk to the OP before the show and explain who you want to photograph and why. Some OPs, like myself, have an exception for photographing family. However, if I see you photographing every single rider, we're gonna have an issue.
Why am I even bothering to write this blog post?
I have run into this situation before (obviously) but this past weekend, a good friend of mine photographed a large show as their OP. There was someone there taking photos and posting hundreds, if not thousands, of photos on Facebook for free. This photographer has a history of cussing out photographers, hiding so the OP doesn't see him and belittling the OP in person and online for confronting him. My friend's photos were much better than his, but today I have seen so many exhibitors posting the other person's photos to share their weekend’s accomplishments instead of supporting their OP. Without exhibitor support, professional photographers can not afford to come back to shows that have a track record of little to no profit. This hurts exhibitors from getting quality photos and hurts the professional show photography industry as a whole. This is why show management needs to take an active role in supporting their OP.
If you're a photographer — pro or hobbyist — and you still think it's okay to shoot at a show with an official photographer, just remember that the equine photography community is small and it's better to have friends within it than not. If you're an exhibitor, please support your OP and purchase your show photos!
And to all my exhibitors that have supported me time and time again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! YOU are the reason I'm able to keep coming back to shows.
